American Made Home Decor – Product Finds & Resources

This week is all about America, and patriotism at it’s best. Celebrate “Made in America Day” on Thursday July 2nd, quickly followed by Independence Day on Saturday July 4th.

While we are all in the patriotic mood and hanging flags from our front porch, let’s take a look at other ways we can show our patriotism – by choosing home décor products made in America. Your flag only hangs for a few months, you can create an interior that is patriotic all year long.

American Made Products

We can’t possible highlight all the possible American made options out there, but we can show you some fun finds. From industrial lighting, mid century modern furniture, rustic coffee tables and, of course, wood floors, you can find home décor items, in a variety of styles, made in the USA, for your home.

Kitchen Cabinets

There are a number of excellent companies who make kitchen cabinets in the USA.

American made kitchen cabinets can be hard to come by, it seems that most of it is made in China. But if quality, craftsmanship, and longevity are important, choosing American made can ensure the cabinets you choose, will be around for a lifetime. Read more at homeinteriorboutique.com

Lighting

RailroadWare is a unique manufacturing company. They salvage railroad supplies from waste streams and local collections. These items are repurposed and remade in the companies Chico, CA studio, giving them a chance at a new life. These products are a great option when you want a rustic, vintage, or industrial look.

Another company, with more style and options is Framburg.com, founded in 1905. They are one of the few companies still manufacturing product in the United States. Their manufacturing capabilities allow them to produce fixtures of superior quality, thematic consistency, and design integrity, while also allowing the option for an infinite array of custom designs. http://www.framburg.com/products.aspx

Benjamin Moore Paints

The Benjamin Moore paint company began in 1883, selling whitewash in Brooklyn. They now operate 7 labts in New Jersey and created over 3500 paint colors.

Lamon Luther Jones Furniture is an ideal example of American made, but also giving back to the community. The owner, Brian Preston, provides job opportunities for the homeless. They use antique wood flooring and every piece of furniture is handmade in Georgia.

Wood Floors

Carlisle Wide Plank Floors has been making hand-crafted wood flooring in New Hampshire since 1966. We are one of the few companies who still maintain manufacturing facilities here in the USA. We are proud of this heritage, and we know we are in good company.

Not only are our wood floors made in America, but over 95% of the material we use to make our floors comes from sawyers in and around the United States. This vertical integration allows us to support American made right back to the tree, from a local American forest, owned by a local sawyer.

Why Made in America

Buying American Made has a resounding impact on the economy and the community. According to the website, MadeInTheUSA.com, these are just a few of the benefits:

The Job Creation Equation

American people spending American dollars on American products equals American jobs. These jobs are the foundation of a thriving economy. If every American spent an extra $3.33 on U.S.-made products, it would create almost 10,000 new jobs. And, if every builder used just 5 percent more U.S.-made products, it would create 220,000 jobs.

Recycling Dollars

When you buy U.S.-made products, the proceeds remain in the U.S. economy. The money you spend then pays the workers that directly or indirectly created the product you purchased. When workers spend their money on U.S.-made products, the dollars continue to be recycled. Every American worker also pay taxes on wages earned in America.

Keeping America Beautiful

American manufacturers abide by strict regulations to protect the environment. These regulations do not exist in most of the top countries manufacturing and importing their goods into the U.S. causing massive pollution and environmental abuse.

Conservation

Importing countries shipping their materials overseas to the U.S. is an added toll on petroleum usage and increases unnecessary emissions in our atmosphere.

Human Rights

Importing countries have little or non-existent regulations or standards for working conditions. By keeping our dollars in the U.S., we are not supporting these horrible working conditions (long hours, exploitation of children, extremely low wages, etc.).

U.S. Manufacturing = More Jobs

Each manufacturing job creates an additional 5 – 8 jobs.

Resources & Websites

Despite the plethora of home décor products made outside the United States, American made products aren’t quite as hard to come by as you might think – if you know where to look. Here are a few websites, with direct links to websites with American Made products.